Read the full transcript from WR Kevin Coleman Jr.'s media availability on April 28, 2026.
(What would you describe as your best skill as a slot receiver? Is it speed, shiftiness, elusiveness, ability to accelerate after catching? And also slot receivers in the NFL that you enjoyed watching growing up? In recent years, guys maybe you pattern some things of your game after?) – "I'd say two things, I'll say getting open, but I'll also say catching the ball. You'll really see me catch the ball, no matter if it's contested, over the shoulder, anything – just catching the ball. Guys I kind of watched and modeled my game after growing up, I'd say Amon-Ra St. Brown, guys like Antonio Brown with route running, Amon-Ra with strong hands and just being strong and just being very helpful on third downs."
(Tell me about your draft day experience. Some guys are grateful to have their names called. Some guys are upset because they thought they lasted too long. What was your draft day experience like?) – "I had a party Day 2. I expected to go off Day 2, but I didn't. But I was still blessed and happy. I went to sleep, woke up with the same mindset I had Day 2. I'm just happy to get the opportunity to play. I've still got the opportunity to step on the field, fulfill my dreams and take things day by day. Of course, it added some fuel. It definitely added some fuel, more motivation, but like I said, I'm just blessed with the opportunity to play."
(Do you consider yourself an underdog going into the league? I mean, you played at Missouri, an SEC school, but you were a lower round pick. What is your mindset, your mentality coming into the league?) – "I feel like just being a part of that one percent, you'll always be the underdog. It's hard to get to where I am and just where we are as players, but my mindset coming in the league, of course I'm going to have that underdog mindset. I've got to go prove myself. I've got to go make the team, earn guys' trust, earn coaches' trust. So of course I've got that underdog mindset. I've just got that 'prove it' mindset."
(This franchise, a lot of turnover at wide receiver this offseason. Obviously they don't have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the combination they had for so many years. Now you're part of three receivers in this draft class, a lot of guys getting a chance. What do you think of the opportunity with this team that you just got drafted to?) – "Like you said, the guys they had in the past, they're gone, so with this new staff and everything comes opportunity. It's just time to come there and take things day by day and compete. Like you said, everyone's got to earn the new coaches trust. They've got to just earn things, so I love that opportunity that's in front of me."
(Looking at your college years, I saw four schools in four years. Can you explain why that was? And maybe one thing you learned at every spot with Jackson State, Louisville, Mississippi State and Missouri? I'm going to put you on the spot, one thing you learned at each one of those stops?) – "I enjoyed my time at every school and learned different things. As I was younger, I was just getting more mature, more consistent, learning about more things I can do just to help myself and help my team. When I left Jackson State, had a great experience there, had great teammates. Of course, my coach left, so I decided to leave as well – Coach Prime was a big reason why I went there. When I left there and went to Louisville, my first scholarship came from the University of Missouri out of high school. I had a receiver coach, Garrick McGee, he was at Louisville, so I ended up deciding to go there – close to home, great conference. It was just a good move at the time. One thing I learned, just keep fighting no matter what. I went to Louisville as an underdog team and went to the ACC championship with the first-year head coach and first-year team. We just fought every single game no matter what. When I left Louisville, that new rule came out that I could transfer – I didn't know I was going to transfer till after the bowl game. I talked back with some coaches and family, end up deciding to go to Mississippi State. When I went to Mississippi State, loved everything that came with it. Coach Lebby, a guy that believed in me, I appreciate him and thank him to this day for everything he has done. I had a great experience there as well. When I left there because of course NIL back home, but I also had a daughter and wanted to be close back to home to give family help."
(One, why didn't you go with Prime to Colorado? Two, Louisville, you said you went there to play for a coach that recruited you. Like why the moving instead of just staying at one spot? And didn't you have to learn four different offenses?) – "Yeah, the four different offenses was no problem. I'm good at learning things and going out there and just executing it. Leaving Louisville was just a family decision, that's what I said. That new rule had came out, decided things would be better, talked to some coaches on the staff and felt like things would be better if I moved on. With Coach Prime, I ended up deciding not to leave – my family is from Denver, Colorado. I decided not to even go there because I just felt like me and my family just wanted more and wanted something else, wanted to go to just a different team, a different vibe."
(You've exclusively played in the slot, it seems. At return, I heard you had like 16 touchdowns in high school?) – "Oh, yeah. I was crazy back in high school return."
(Do you still feel like you have that crazy ability?) – "Oh yeah. Definitely, I'll display it."
(I wanted to ask, what do the four schools in four years kind of say about your ability to adapt and how will that help you at the next level?) – "When you go to four different schools, you've got to earn guys' trust, you've got to earn guys' respect. Some guys, when you first come in, might not respect you. Like you said, they'll look at the resume and they assume things. But when you come in here, less words and just all actions and just show guys what you're about, then they respect you. You earn guys' trust; you earn your coaches' trust. You've got to learn the playbook as well. I had to go in and learn four different playbooks. I went to all the different schools in the spring and started at all of them in the spring, so that shows you right away I come in right away knowing the playbook, knowing the coaches' lingo, and earned the coaches' trust."
(You mentioned Antonio Brown earlier, obviously he had a tremendous career despite being a sixth-round pick. I still don't know how he fell to the sixth round, but what parts of his on-the-field game do you try to encapsulate for yourself?) – "He's quick twitch. He's twitchy. He gets open, his route running. He sells things. His double moves, just everything. His just all-around game. When he was younger, his return game, he was special. His YAC, I just feel like he's one of the best guys to do it. I just tried to take little things and implicate it with my game."
(I think you'll be on the roster if you show that you can be a dangerous punt returner, that'll be like a cinch for you. And I see you had a 67-yard punt return last year. How do you approach the punt return?) – "The first thing you've got to do is catch the ball. Secure the ball, that's everything. Eyes on the ball, catch the ball, good feet. Everything else, you've got to just practice hard. Practice habits are everything. You practice hard, take that serious, like you said, that's going to be my way. I also think the same thing, so got to take those things serious, really watch film on things and just be an open book and learn things."
(You've been talking a lot about catching the football. I read that you catch 300 balls a day on the JUGS machine. I was curious how that started for you?) – "Man, it was my dad. At a young age – I'm going to say five, but I think it was before five years old – my dad had me catching tennis balls a thousand times. He had thrown them off the wall. I wouldn't be looking, it'd be behind me and I'd catch the ball he had thrown to me. I've been catching tennis balls and footballs since I was younger. My dad always threw it to me. That's one thing my dad always wanted me to have, even though I played running back growing up, catching the ball was everything."
(Is there any other crazy like extracurricular work habit we should know about that helped you get to this point you think?) – "The speed ladder. I've got good feet, quick feet. I've got the same speed ladder since I was five years old. I've had the same speed ladder, so I've been doing the same thing I'm doing now since I was five years old with the speed ladder."
